708 Trends in Carotid Stenosis Literature Between 2012-2022: Applications of Endarterectomy and Translational Research

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Carotid stenosis causes 10-20% of cases with ischemic stroke. Research in this clinical domain continues to progress in improving possible treatment modalities, imaging modalities, mechanistic understandings, and risk factors. METHODS: The WebOfScience database was investigated for 6,639 publication items between 2012-2022 pertaining to neurosurgical management of carotid stenosis. Networks were constructed analyzing keywords, key terms, and countries of publication. Subsequently, items within each network were organized into clusters and average publication date was measured for each term. Relevant items were tracked over time to compare their representation and utility in literature. Additionally, relevant key terms and connections were isolated from the network. RESULTS: For each network, the top 1,000 terms were selected for analysis. Terms were arranged into six major clusters (treatments, imaging, risk factors, prognostic markers, plaque characteristics, and basic science research). The most recent terms were observed in the treatment cluster (average publication year 2021.24) and basic science cluster (average publication year 2018.4). While terms within basic science have remained consistent over time, analysis of treatments elucidated that “carotid endarterectomy” surpassed “carotid artery stenting” in popularity after 2019. Additionally, the term “mouse” in the basic science cluster was connected to all clusters with a link strength of 18,084 (average 427.6). CONCLUSIONS: Modern research in carotid stenosis is characterized by two developments: advancements in basic science and increasing publication focus on carotid endarterectomy. Despite recent advancements in endovascular treatment of carotid stenosis, open treatment continues to remain a significant focus of study. As they continue to expand into modern scientific enterprise, developing nations will continue to impact the future of carotid stenosis research.